How College can Drive You Crazy
by Sonnie
Summary: A lecherous tutor, a fiesty nude model, a calculating businessman, a track god, a hideously overachieving redhead, a redhot tomboy, a crazy art major, and the girl next door are all in college together...how will they survive?
1. Kagome: What's going on here?

**How College can Drive you Crazy**

_Sonnie_

_-_

_-_

Dear Diary,

Every time I walk into my life drawing class and that nude model, Inuyasha, is there, he always stands up and moves so that he's facing me! It's so distracting! And I've caught him looking at me, only a couple of times, but still…how am I supposed to get work done when there's a really hot naked guy sitting in front of me on a chair? I start out okay, you know, drawing the face and shoulders and torso…then I get down lower and I can't seem to draw any more! It's embarrassing! My professor doesn't believe me, either, that Inuyasha purposefully sits so he's facing me. I can't believe this! I don't know how much longer this can go on…

_- Kagome_

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**Author's Notes:** Just a little intro for a collection of college tales involving kagome/inuyasha, sango/miroku, rin/sesshoumaru, and ayame/kouga. Next up: Sango has some serious doubts about the integrity philosophy tutor, Ayame's sick and tired of the jerk in her British lit class, and Rin doesn't know how she'll survive her boring job in the library.


	2. Rin: Haha, it happened again!

**How College can Drive you Crazy**

_Sonnie_

_I am NOT missing Inuyasha!_ Kagome thought vehemently, glaring at the new model angrily. He was well-built, a bit taller than the silver-haired man but not by too much. His glossy black hair was pulled up into a high ponytail and he had eyes that shone a brilliant cobalt blue.

_Oh no!_ Kagome thought wildly, blushing furiously when he smiled at her briefly before returning his gaze towards the ceiling. _Not him too!_

"Rin, did you see that?" Kagome whispered to her best friend, who was furiously erasing about one-forth of her entire drawing.

"See what?" Rin asked loudly, swiping her arm across the eraser dust carelessly. She growled, picking up her book and giving it a couple of shakes as she swatted the page.

"He's doing the same thing Inuyasha did!" Kagome hissed.

"Putting you front and center for his little show?" Rin said with a grin. "Ow!"

"Serves you right for such an unfunny joke," said Kagome primly.

"Yeah…his _show_ wasn't little at all!" Rin crowed, this time prepared for the kneaded eraser Kagome chucked at her forehead.

Kagome glowered at Rin, crossing her arms. Rin just smiled back, reaching for her bottled water. The model was taking a break, garbed in a navy blue terrycloth robe.

"Y'know, Ayame told me this guy's on the track team," Rin told her friend, eyeing the model who was currently sprawled on a beat-up couch on the other side of the room. "He's a sophomore and his name's Kouga. You have to admit, he's not too hard on the eyes."

"Yeah, but he's still no Inuyasha," Kagome sighed.

Rin burst out laughing. "I cannot believe you said that out loud!" Laughter increasing at the look on Kagome's face, she could not resist continuing. "So it's true!"

"What's true?" Kagome demanded, her cheeks as red as the couch Kouga was sitting on.

"You like Inuyasha!" Rin squealed, winching as Kagome grabbed her arm.

"Shh!" Kagome hissed, clamping her hand over her friend's mouth.

"But if you like Inuyasha," Rin whispered after wrenching free, "you'd better make a move quick. Ayame says Kouga likes you a lot! I think the reason he's here is so he can show off for you."

"But…I thought they were together," Kagome said, confused. "You've mentioned them together before, even though I'd never met him until now."

"Well, she doesn't talk about their relationship much," Rin said, her face looking uncharacteristically dark. "She's had a huge crush on him since they were in high school together, but they've only started talking this semester. They argue constantly; both are in the same British lit class and go at it every day. But even though they've fooled around some, Ayame says that Kouga wants you more and would leave her in a second if he got you."

"Why does she let herself get used like that?" Kagome asked. "I mean, that British lit class you guys are in is not a piece of cake. So she's got to be smart…but why do that to herself?"

"Because she loves him," Rin sighed, frowning. "But she can do so much better. I think she has, too…I mean, I see her with the most gorgeous guy…he looks sorta like Inuyasha. But he's taller…and way hotter!"

"I don't think that's possible," Kagome sniffed, both of them giggling. Kagome sighed when Kouga rose and went back to the center of the room; clearly the break was over. She had to admit that he was a very attractive man.

_But he's still not Inuyasha…_

**-**

**-**

"Please?" Ayame pleaded, hands folded in front of her in a piteous display of urgency. "Come on!"

"Fine, but I'm only saying yes because I can't stand the nagging," Miroku muttered, waving a hand in her direction.

"Hey!" Ayame said, smacking him upside the head. "What kind of friend are you, anyway?"

"Jeez, Ayame," Miroku grumbled, rubbing his scalp furiously. "You don't know your own strength."

"Yeah, right," Ayame grumbled. "And who is it that makes fun of me for being puny?"

"I never said you were puny, I simply commented that you were petite," Miroku corrected.

"That sounds so godawful _girly_," Ayame muttered.

"But petite isn't a bad thing," Miroku began, hands moving in gestures meant to placate. "Many men find a small woman very attractive."

"You just find all women attractive," Ayame grumbled.

"Come now, that's a bit unfair," Miroku said, pretending to be hurt.

"And it's that compulsion that drove me to ask you for this favor," Ayame continued, ignoring his protest. "I just knew you'd help out a woman in need…even if it wasn't _that_ kind of need."

Miroku sighed. "I'm not really that bad, am I?" he asked wearily.

Ayame smiled. "Not around this one, you won't be," she said with a huge grin.

_Oh gods, she's going to be hideous_, Miroku thought dolefully.

**-**

**-**

"What's wrong, Inuyasha?" a silky voice drew, causing its intended recipient to bristle indignantly.

"Nothing's wrong, Sesshoumaru," Inuyasha snapped, crossing his arms and slamming his elbows down on the table as he sat down abruptly. Quite far from being in pain, he looked satisfied at the jarring impact.

"I'm glad I caught you here at your apartment instead of…during one of your little exhibitions," Sesshoumaru said delicately, a hint of sarcasm in his voice. It was just enough to earn a glare from his half-brother.

"What did you want to talk to me about?" Inuyasha asked bluntly, lifting his arms off the table to lean back in his chair.

"You know Father's company always awards a scholarship to a student at this college based on an essay," Sesshoumaru said. "But due to Father's death, all publicity for this essay contest was overlooked. The company will look bad if we neglect to select a scholarship candidate, but time is running out and I need a suitable recipient."

"And how do you expect me to help you?" Inuyasha asked, lazily looking up at the ceiling. "I'm no writer."

"I wasn't talking about you, you halfwit," Sesshoumaru muttered. "Is there someone you know who could write a good essay in a week's time?"

"I dunno," Inuyasha shrugged.

"Well, don't you know anyone from any of your classes that could do it?" Sesshoumaru questioned.

Inuyasha shrugged again. "Maybe."

"What do you mean, maybe?" Sesshoumaru growled, losing patience with his brother's nonchalance. Image was important.

"Well, she called and said she was kinda pissed at me," Inuyasha muttered.

_"Inuyasha, why didn't you come in and model today?" Rin practically shrieked into the phone._

_"My brother wanted to talk to me about something," Inuyasha replied. "I didn't know he'd be this late."_

_"Well, guess who took your place?" Rin spat. "Kouga!"_

_"No shit," Inuyasha growled. "That asshole."_

_"Yeah, and right after class he asked Kagome to have dinner with him," Rin hissed. "And she said yes!"_

_"Why in the hell would she do that?" Inuyasha asked._

_"Well, all you've been doing is acting like a huge ass whenever you're around her," Rin muttered. "That whole stunt you did with facing her was funny, but I think you were majorly distracting her. The last few grades she's been getting were really bad."_

_"You were immune," Inuyasha said. "Why wasn't she?"_

_"Because, I'm not attracted to you, idiot," Rin reminded him. "Besides, I've always liked guys that were smarter than rocks."_

_"Why you!"__ Inuyasha snapped._

_"I'm kidding, but seriously, Inuyasha," Rin pleaded, "ask her out the next time you see her. You have to act quickly."_

_"Keh," Inuyasha grumbled. "Why should I? Isn't that jerk going out with Ayame anyway?"_

_"No," Rin said._

_"Are you sure?" Inuyasha asked her skeptically. "I mean, things are pretty intense there. Besides, Ayame's really hot. I don't know what Kouga's problem is."_

_"He told her he's still hoping to get Kagome," Rin told him._

_"What an asshole," Inuyasha said._

_"And do you really want a guy like him around Kagome?" Rin asked, raising her voice in the hopes of hitting that point home._

_"No, but if she's dumb enough to go out with Kouga then why should I even bother?" Inuyasha mumbled._

_"She only went out with him because you haven't asked her yet!" Rin shrieked. "I can't believe you men!"_

_Click._

"Inuyasha, you're terrible with people," Sesshoumaru said disdainfully. If his older brother had been capable of facial expression beyond a frown, Inuyasha would have sworn he'd have rolled his eyes.

"Keh, whatever," Inuyasha huffed. "If you want her help, go ask her."

Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes. "I don't have time for that. Why do you think I came here in the first place?"

"Well if you're already here, then why don't you go next store to the library? She works in the writing center until ten."

Sesshoumaru contemplated this, knowing there was no way Inuyasha would be willing to help him beyond this. He sighed.

"What did you say her name was?" he asked tiredly.

"Rin," Inuyaha said. "I can draw you a picture if you like." Without waiting for an answer, he swiped a pen from the counter and picked up a napkin on the table. Making a big show of it, he shielded his drawing with his hand until he was finished. After a few minutes, he handed it to Sesshoumaru, who accepted it gingerly.

"Inuyasha…" Sesshoumaru began, eyeing the picture skeptically. It was a stick figure with a huge semicircle for a smile and a pigtail on the side of her head.

"Yeah?"

"For spending so much time in an artistic environment, I must say, you've learned nothing."

**-**

**-**

"I really don't want to be an inconvenience," Sango told Ayame.

"Trust me, he won't see you that way," Ayame muttered under her breath.

"But you were in there for such a long time trying to convince him," Sango said.

"But it worked, and that's all that matters," Ayame said brightly. Taking Sango's arm, she gently ushered her into the room where Miroku sat. He looked up, shooting a surprised look at his guest then a dark one at Ayame, who merely smiled back.

"Hello," Miroku said smoothly, on his feet instantly. He held out his hand to Sango, who took it after a moment of brief hesitation. Instead of the handshake she was expecting, he took it and lifted it to his lips, brushing it with a chaste kiss.

"My name is Miroku," he said in a low voice.

Ayame rolled her eyes, sighing loudly.

"Uh, I'm Sango," she said, blushing furiously.

"Come here, have a seat," Miroku urged, hand gesturing to his futon. Sango sat, her face betraying her surprise when he sat down so near.

"Ah, well, I'll leave you two kiddies alone," Ayame said, grinning slyly. Ignoring the look of shock on Sango's face when Miroku put his arm around her, she skipped out of the room.

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**Author's Notes:** I hope you like this chapter!


	3. Inuyasha: Pink isn't my color!

**How College can Drive you Crazy**

_Sonnie_

**-**

"Damn it, what did you do to Ayame?" Miroku shouted, grabbing the front of Kouga's shirt. Uncharacteristically angry, the young man didn't care that the one he was threatening was probably capable of causing him serious injury.

"We broke up, officially," Kouga muttered, breaking out of Miroku's grasp. "It was about time! Now I'm with someone better!"

Miroku made a sound of disgust. "Look, Kagome's a good friend of mine, but I don't think she's any better or any worse than Ayame," he said. "Why chase after Kagome when you already had a perfectly good woman?"

"Whatever," Kouga shrugged. "Besides, it's just a date."

"You're such an asshole," Miroku muttered, shaking his head. "I hope you won't treat Kagome this bad."

"I wouldn't," Kouga snapped indignantly. "But Ayame deserved it!"

"Deserved what?" Miroku demanded. "For you to lead her on then dump her like garbage? No! She didn't deserve that at all. But that isn't even the worse part. I know you hit her earlier, I saw her face!"

"She was being a bitch!" Kouga growled. "She was insulting Kagome, a girl she'd never even met! She said terrible things and I wasn't going to have it!"

"Can you blame her?" Miroku asked. "I mean, considering how you treat her, I don't think it's that out of the ordinary to be mad in that situation."

"Look, I don't really feel that great about what I did, but she wasn't being reasonable," Kouga said.

"Whatever," Miroku said, shaking his head angrily. "I've got work to do. Go on your date with Kagome. But if I hear you've pulled something, I'm coming after you."

"Like you could do anything about it," Kouga muttered.

"Don't push me," Miroku said in a low voice, then brushed past him to his apartment complex.

**-**

Sesshoumaru gripped the napkin in his hand, feeling rather annoyed that he had been made his brother's fool. He was never going to find this girl based on that picture.

"Hey Rin!" a girl shouted brightly, wincing when three students turned to glare at her. "Sorry."

She ran over to a computer where another girl was typing, kneeling beside her chair.

"Rin, I'm going on my date in a few minutes, just wanted to check in," she whispered excitedly.

The girl sitting at the computer sighed and turned to face her friend. In doing this, Sesshoumaru could see the pigtail she wore in her hair.

"Kagome, I wish you'd consider going out with Inuyasha instead," she implored.

"Yeah right," Kagome huffed. "That jerk hasn't given me the time of day."

Rin looked up at the ceiling as if she wanted to scream. Sighing, her shoulders fell and she looked back at her friend. "Have a good time, Kagome."

"Thanks," Kagome chirped, giving her friend a quick hug. She ran towards the door, glancing at Sesshoumaru strangely.

_That's funny, he looks sorta like Inuyasha, except…scary_, Kagome thought hurriedly. She clutched her purse tighter as she left the library.

**-**

"Inuyasha, this sucks!" Ayame wailed, flinging herself back in her friend's bed. Curled up in his covers, she wrapped the thick comforter around her hoping it would live up to its namesake. Inuyasha didn't mind her messing up his bed; it was reassuring that he actually had female friends in his life that would remain platonic. Rin was the same way, for she, Ayame, Miroku, and he had all been best friends in high school. Never had any of them ever developed feelings for any other, which kept things relatively easy going.

"Just forget about Kouga," Inuyasha told her, trying to prevent her from crying again. He had just managed to settle her down, a feat which he didn't want overshadowed by another crying spell. "He's an ass."

"Speaking of such, your brother is taking to Jade Paradise next weekend," Ayame muttered offhandedly. She grabbed a tissue from his nightstand and wiped her eyes.

"Sesshoumaru?" Inuyasha choked.

"Yeah," Ayame shrugged, wadding the tissue up and shooting it at the trashcan. It missed by a foot and she made a face at Inuyasha when he cracked a grin. "I asked him ages ago and he finally agreed a few weeks ago."

"My brother?" Inuyasha asked again, his face completely confused and perplexed.

"Yeah, who else do we know that's named Sesshoumaru?" Ayame said. "He owes me one. Your brother's a big jazz fan and he and some of his business partners were at one of my jazz shows. Some advertising bigwig saw me and I guess liked it. Apparently he wanted me to model some stuff…whatever. I said I would as long as he signed some contract thingie with Sesshoumaru."

Inuyasha stared at her. "When was this?"

"Eh, awhile ago," Ayame shrugged. "I did the photo shoo last week. It was totally unreal. I can't get a read on the advertising exec, though. He's creepy and hot all at once."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "What did you model?"

"Eh, I'm not naked, so it's nothing terribly exciting," Ayame muttered, turning her head and looking over at Inuyasha's wall. "Your room needs a makeover. The paint is in terrible shape. I can fix it for you."

"I guess you're feeling okay, then," Inuyasha grunted, crossing his arms. He didn't like the direction this was going.

"Not at all, but I need to do something so I stop thinking about the whole thing," Ayame sighed. She grabbed Inuyasha's car keys and chucked them at his head. Similarly to the tissue, the keys were way off target. Laughing, he reached his arms out and made an exaggerated catch.

"Wait, are we doing this right _now_?" Inuyasha asked when she got off the bed and put on her coat.

"Yeah, why not?" Ayame murmured, shrugging once again as she stared carefully at the walls. "I'm thinking a nice, masculine _purple_…"

"I remember what you did the last time," Inuyasha grumbled. "I don't think I should trust you."

"Pink is a very nice color, Inuyasha," Ayame said brightly.

Inuyasha wailed. "But not for _guys_!"

**-**

"Are you okay?" Sango asked Miroku hesitantly. It was her second study session with him. Despite the fact his hands were often unaccounted for only to resurface on various parts of her anatomy, she had to admit that he knew his stuff. He always presented the material in an easy-to-understand manner, and he answered her questions marvelously. Some of his methods, though…

"Now, Sango, picture this," Miroku began, drawing her close and placing an arm around her. "According to Plato…"

Sango tried to relax, realizing she was stiffer than a plank of wood in his grasp. Oblivious to her discomfort or perhaps ignoring it, Miroku continued, his soothing voice leading Sango's mind in different directions.

_Get a grip, girl!_ Sango reprimanded herself. _You've been hit on before, by guys a lot smoother than this one! Still…he's got a lot of charm…and he's really—Damn, what's wrong with me?_

"Are you alright, Sango?" Miroku asked, turning her so she faced him. His tone bordered on dramatic but his dark eyes looked deep into hers with genuine concern.

"Yes, I'm fine," Sango said, a little indignantly.

"Your mind is far away from here," Miroku said solemnly. Sango tried not to laugh at such a serious expression on his face. "I pray you tell me what troubles you."

Sango couldn't help but bust out laughing. "I'm really okay!"

Miroku watched her laugh, completely clueless as to the reason. When she didn't stop, he grew a bit concerned. "Are you sure you're alright?"

"Yes, I'm just…your concern is nice," Sango said, "and I'm touched."

Miroku had an unreadable expression on his face. Confused, he sighed and tried to think about what to do. Sango was unlike any girl he'd ever met; shy but vibrant, mature but mischievous, strong but with definite weaknesses. She had dignity but not a foolish amount of pride—this quality made her especially interesting. Miroku recognized her as the star soccer player for the freshmen class, but everything he'd heard about her indicated that while she was definitely the best, she was a team player. It was an interesting quality to him, because as much as he enjoyed spending time with his friends he was still a private person in many respects.

The ringing of his cell saved him from a response. Wincing at the embarrassing ringtone he had foolishly allowed Ayame to set, the chorus of "Barbie Girl" echoed loudly in the room. Sango smiled at him.

"Yeah?" Miroku grunted into his phone, not terribly pleased at being humiliated, regardless of how trivial it was.

"Hey, get your ass over here and help us paint my apartment," Inuyasha ordered rather boorishly.

"Huh?" Miroku asked, puzzled. "I thought you were with Ayame."

"And whose bright idea do you think this is?" Inuyasha asked drolly, cursing into the phone at what Miroku imagined was a rather satisfying smack. "Ouch, damn it, that hurts!"

"Uh, I'm kind of with someone right now," Miroku asked. "I'm tutoring her for philosophy."

"Keh, yeah right," Inuyasha muttered. Miroku scowled at the mental image of his friend rolling his eyes in exaggerated disbelief. "Well, tell your "friend" that she can come over here too."

"I don't know," Miroku said skeptically, looking up at Sango who was gazing at him curiously. Her eyes were doing strange things to his thinking process.

"Seriously, you can't leave me alone at the mercy of this woman!" Inuyasha wailed, cursing as he fell under a new barrage of attacks. "The more the merrier, isn't that what they say?"

Miroku sighed at his friends pitiful attempt at self-rescue. "Fine, I'll ask, but no guarantees," he said.

"Keh, fine, just hurry the hell up before she starts opening up the paint," Inuyasha muttered darkly.

Miroku lowered the phone, looking at Sango hopefully. "So…wanna go paint an apartment with me?"

**-**

**-**

**-**

**-**

**Author's Notes:** Okay, a continuation of this chapter and Kouga's date with Kagome await you all next time. Also, what happens in the library between Sesshoumaru and Rin?


	4. Sesshoumaru: Musings on a Muse

**How College can Drive you Crazy**

_Sonnie_

**-**

"Excuse me," Sesshoumaru began, not quite sure how he was going to even breach the subject with a complete stranger. She didn't owe him anything; in fact, she was pretty upset with his brother, not that Sesshoumaru could blame her.

"Yeah?" the girl asked, not looking up. Her tiny hand poised over the mouse, she scrolled down the page, which was apparently about Vincent van Gogh.

Sesshoumaru was uncomfortable. Used to having peoples' undivided attention, he didn't know how to handle this girl. While she wasn't intentionally treating him impolitely, she wasn't giving him the attention he was accustomed to.

"Your name is Rin, right?" Sesshoumaru asked.

"Yep," she said, hitting the print button. She leaned over and grabbed the sheets from the printer, never taking her eyes of the screen.

"Are you also friends with Inuyasha?" Sesshoumaru asked.

A muscle twitched in the girl's cheek. "Yeah, but he's being quite the douche bag right now," she muttered, yanking another sheet from the printer only to find it jammed. Growling, she stood up and pried the plastic sheet from the side, freeing the paper inside. Crumbling the wrecked paper into a ball, she expertly threw it behind her shoulder to have it land in the recycling bin.

"Really?" Sesshoumaru asked, mildly interested in why she was angry at his idiot half brother.

"Yeah, I mean honestly, how hard is it to ask a girl out?" Rin asked, eyes narrowed as she read the message that popped up on her screen, warning her about low black ink. Grumbling, she closed it and reprinted the pages that had been ruined. "But I guess you're not here to talk about that. What's up?"

Sesshoumaru paused, still perplexed by the girl sitting in front of him. If he were to base any judgments on her appearance, she looked to be a typical "weird" art student. Though she didn't have any of those strange God-awful piercing or ugly tattoos or even dyed hair, her clothes were enough for him to derive that stereotype.

Rin wore a pair of tight jeans, rolled up past her calves, exposing a pair of knee-high argyle socks in a strange combination of white, black, gray, and hot pink. She wore a violet fitted tee that read "The Unicorns" and about a mile's worth of brightly-colored rubber bracelets around her wrists, which were very slender. The beat-up messenger bag on the floor next to her looked about ready to split apart, held together by safety pins, patches, and duct tape.

"My brother Inuyasha told me you could write an essay worthy of a scholarship," Sesshoumaru said.

Rin tilted her head back and laughed, a move that Sesshoumaru found quite disconcerting given the circumstances.

"Haha…_could_ and _would_ are completely different," Rin told him. "You see, I have a huge paper due on Friday, and thanks to Mr. I'll-Volunteer-My-Best-Friend-Without-Taking-Into-Consideration-Her-Schedule, I'm way behind. I bet him that I'd do all his laundry if he won a poker game, and I _know_ that jerk cheated but I can't prove it. The man has more clothes than Paris Hilton!"

"If Inuyasha outwitted you, you have no reason to complain," Sesshoumaru said simply.

"Hey!" Rin yelled, turning to face him. Sesshoumaru watched in amusement as all the anger evaporated from her expression, leaving her looking quite dazed. Her dark brown eyes were framed by a pair of emo glasses that were only a shade darker than her currently wide irises. To her credit, she kept her mouth from hanging agape for more than a second.

Rin sighed. "I guess you're right. I'll just have to get him back some other time." Surprisingly, she had quite a sweet smile, even when it was twisted with hints of mischief. Intelligence was definitely there, and he also expected he would find a decent amount of thoughtfulness and patience.

_How on earth does she get along with my brother?_ Sesshoumaru wondered. _They're total opposites._

"Do you think you could write an essay for me by Friday on one of these topics?" Sesshoumaru asked, handing her a paper. She took it, studying it for a moment.

"Yeah, sure," Rin muttered, eyes still scanning the page. "But why bother if I might not win?"

"You _will_ win," Sesshoumaru told her.

"But then it's a sham," Rin said, clearly growing irritated.

"Look, there's a long, complicated story involved," Sesshoumaru said tiredly. "The scholarship contest was one of the many things pushed to the side when Father passed away. By the time I had regained control from some of the greedier members of the board, the deadline was almost past. Now it's bad for publicity if we neglect to award a scholarship, so those are the circumstances in which I have to work. I would not be asking if there were another way."

Rin looked pensive. "Sure, I'll do it," she said after a moment. "But keep your money. Deal?"

Sesshoumaru nodded, eyeing the hand she had extended. Such a naïve gesture; his pride would not allow him to remain in her debt in such a way, and paying her what she was due would relieve him of that obligation. He would just send her the check after everything was all said and done. He took her hand, trying not to wince at how cold and clammy it was.

Rin blushed as she drew her hand back, noticing his discomfort. "Sorry, it's really cold in here, but I can't type to well with gloves on."

Not knowing what else to say, Sesshoumaru turned to leave.

"Wait!" Rin called, running after him. She had to tilt her head back to look at him, for he was well over a foot taller than she was. "If you're going back to Inuyasha, can you tell him something for me?"

Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes. He wasn't a messenger boy! He was about to refuse but noticed the pleading look in Rin's eyes and acquiesced.

"Please tell Inuyasha…" Rin began solemnly, "that Kagome looks really hot tonight and that it's his own fault that she looks so smokin' while she's on a date with another man! Can you do that for me?"

Sesshoumaru smiled coolly. "I think I can manage that."

**-**

"Keh, woman, if you do that one more time I'm gonna give you a matching bruise on your other cheek!" Inuyasha yelled, wiping paint off the side of his face. It was getting in his hair, turning the fine silver strands a disgusting shade of gray. The light blue paint was a color he had agreed on because it was so innocuous that he wouldn't notice it.

"I wanna see you try!" Ayame challenged, brandishing her paint roller. It was this scene that Miroku and Sango walked in on. Far from being embarrassed, Sango smiled at her friend Ayame. She could only imagine what she had been putting the poor man through.

"Um, Inuyasha?" Miroku said warily, "this is Sango."

"Nice to meet you," Inuyasha grunted, growing more and more pissed off at Ayame's antics. She was currently beckoning him with a finger, daring him to move forward and attack.

"Let's go, wench!" Inuyasha yelled, swinging his paintbrush at her face. Sidestepping, she dodged the blow and landed the roller on his back as he passed her. It left a nice, satisfying line of paint from his shoulder blades to his butt.

"Look what you just did!" Inuyasha cried out indignantly. Supremely glad he had forced her to wait to open the paint cans until he had removed the furniture from his rooms and covered the floor and windows, Inuyasha relished the amount of space they were left with. It left him with enough room to charge her.

"Yeah, I see what I just did and _I'm liking__ it_!" Ayame crowed.

"You wench!" Inuyasha yelled again, running at her, this time with a paintbrush in each hand.

Miroku sighed. "I guess I'd better put a stop to this," he muttered, grabbing Inuyasha's arm to prevent him from advancing further.

"Stay out of this!" Inuyasha yelled. "That paint whore is going to _die_!"

"So violent," Miroku said tiredly.

Ayame was gloating over Miroku's shoulder, sticking out her tongue at him childishly.

"Uh, Ayame, you probably shouldn't be doing that," Sango said warily, eyeing Inuyasha's snarling face.

"I'll be fine," Ayame reassured her confidently. "Here, grab a brush." She tossed a brush at Sango who ducked in time to avoid being hit in the face. "Whoops!"

Sango retrieved the brush, walking timidly over to the paint can. She'd never painted a room before.

"It's not gonna bite you," Inuyasha snapped, having been released by Miroku.

Sango grinned and plunged the bristles into the can, pulling it out and flinging it at Inuyasha. A small portion hit Miroku, but the majority slapped the face of her intended target. She laughed at his angry expression.

"Sango, I could kiss you!" Ayame cheered.

"You'd better not, or Miroku's gonna lose his mind," Inuyasha said.

Miroku straightened up, having the decency to appear offended. "That was uncalled for, Inuyasha."

"Just grab a brush and quit yakking," Inuyasha told him darkly.

**-**

Kagome was content with her date; it was better than she had expected. Kouga had been a perfect gentleman. He looked very handsome in his black polo shirt and khakis. As he drove them back to his apartment complex only a block from campus, she gazed out the window.

I _had such a good time, _Kagome thought. _But why does everyone want me to go out with Inuyasha? He's so boorish…rude, even…and that stunt he pulls in drawing!_

"Kagome, are you alright?" Kouga asked her concernedly.

"Uh, yeah, sorry," Kagome said, embarrassed.

"Well, we're almost back," Kouga reassured her. "I can get you some Tylenol from my apartment, alright?"

"Sure," Kagome said absently. She got of his car when he pulled into his space. He took her hand and she did not resist.

"Hey, isn't that Inuyasha?" Kagome asked, pointing at where he and a redhead were sprinting to a pickup truck.

"Yeah, he lives in my building," Kouga muttered darkly. "But the only person more insufferable than him is his half brother, who drops by on occasion to bail Inuyasha out of trouble. Sesshoumaru's pretty much a heartless bastard…always cold to everyone."

Huh, so that's why he reminded me of Inuyasha earlier when I saw him in the library, Kagome thought. But if what Kouga says is true, their personalities are completely different. I can't imagine an unfeeling, stoic Inuyasha…

Despite the cold weather, the man was only in jeans and a tee shirt and his companion in a pair of overalls and a tank top. Kagome watched curiously as he grabbed what appeared to be cans of paint from the bed of the truck. The redhead snuck up behind him and painted a huge line across his bottom.

"Damn you!" Inuyasha yelled. "You're DEAD!"

"Gotta catch me first, slowpoke!" the woman taunted, running back towards the building. She brushed past Kagome and Kouga at breakneck speed. She slowed down at the entrance, obviously waiting for Inuyasha to catch up so they could resume their chase. Inuyasha ran towards her, but his eyes were looking up at the scaffolding surrounding the front of the building. The workers were yelling, trying to get her attention so she could avoid the large pile of cinderblocks that were plummeting towards the sidewalk.

"Ayame, look out!" Inuyasha yelled, sprinting towards her as fast as he could. Kagome caught the look of desperation on his face; he wanted to save her so bad but she knew he couldn't reach her in time. The blocks rained down from the sky; they were everywhere and she didn't know where to run.

"NO!" Inuyasha roared as the first block exploded on impact. Ayame's scream filled the air, chilling Kagome's blood. The rest of the blocks came crashing down, enveloping the entire area with a thick cloud of dust.

Kagome looked over at Kouga, who for the first time she'd ever seen him looked as if his confidence had been shattered. His blue eyes were wide in horror and disbelief as he ran over to the accident.

Inuyasha ran over too, pushing the other man aside, not realizing who it was. He held an arm in front of his face to block the particles that lingered in the air, stinging his eyes and choking him. When the dust finally cleared, he almost fell over in disbelief.

Ayame was unharmed, having been pushed flat against the wall by Sesshoumaru. He was also unhurt, but both of their clothes were covered in chalk-colored debris. Ayame's eyes were still wide and she was shaking in Sesshoumaru's arms.

"Are you alright Ayame?" Inuyasha asked, rushing to her side.

Ayame didn't answer, chest still heaving with desperate breaths. She looked around frantically, as if in shocked disbelief.

"Ayame, are you hurt?" Sesshoumaru asked her firmly, catching her chin and forcing her to steady her gaze.

Ayame nodded, causing some of the dust in her hair to fall. Sesshoumaru tilted her head to the side, obviously studying something he saw.

"What happened to your face?" Sesshoumaru demanded. "This mark is too old for what happened."

"Oh, um…" Ayame dropped her chin from his grasp, glancing around nervously. Spotting Kouga, she quickly straightened up and looked away. "Nothing."

Sesshoumaru stepped back, looking at Kouga carefully for a brief moment. "Very well," he said finally. "Now come, let's go."

"Where are you taking her?" Kouga demanded.

"To the hospital," Sesshoumaru replied. He looked at Ayame pointedly. "And on the way there she can tell me how she got that bruise."

"Sesshoumaru, I can't go in your _car_," Ayame said. "You won't even let me eat inside it. I'll ruin it!"

"Don't be foolish," Sesshoumaru said simply.

Ayame went quietly, clasping her hands in front of her submissively. She glanced at Kagome briefly but ignored Kouga as she walked by. She had a slight limp but didn't appear to be critically injured. But when Ayame dropped her hands at her sides, Kagome saw rivulets of blood running freely down her right arm. When she reached the car, Sesshoumaru unlocked it and opened it for her, then closed it once she was inside.

Inuyasha watched them go, eyes following Sesshoumaru's Bentley until it had left the parking lot. He breathed an audible sigh of relief.

"That was really brave of you, Inuyasha," Kagome told him, smiling at him. "You could have gotten hurt or even killed. You really care about your friends, don't you?"

Inuyasha gaped at her. The girl he'd been harboring a crush on was giving him just about the highest praise anyone could. A humiliating blush was working its way across his face, and he turned it abruptly.

"Thanks," he said curtly.

"I'm sorry, did I embarrass you?" Kagome asked him.

"Keh, I'm fine, it's Ayame I'm worried about," Inuyasha said. He looked at Kouga. "My brother's going to slit your throat when he finds out what you did."

"I don't feel particularly great about it, alright?" Kouga growled. "She makes me angrier than anyone I've ever met! She kept provoking me; I even warned her to stop."

"She doesn't know how to stop," Inuyasha muttered. "And she loves pushing peoples' buttons. She also loves pissing them off."

"Why does she go around doing stuff like that?" Kouga demanded angrily. Kagome had seen him irritated, yes, but Ayame truly seemed to affect him like nothing else.

"Because, she refuses to follow the status quo," Inuyasha said firmly. "She will not accept being ignored nor being ignorant herself. She challenges people to think outside whatever box they've built around themselves, and you either respect that or you don't. And since you're the reason my apartment is a mess, I think I'm going to ruin your day."

Inuyasha turned to Kagome. "Do you mind giving me your number? I thought maybe we could hang out sometime."

Kagome blushed. She wasn't used to all the male attention, but she honestly liked them both. Since the silver-haired boy wasn't necessarily asking her on a date, she didn't think it was rude to decline. She nodded to Inuyasha, who smirked arrogantly at Kouga. She wrote her number on a slip of paper from her purse and handed it to him. He accepted it with a flourish.

"If you two will excuse me, I have one hell of an apartment to return to," Inuyasha said, waving an arm as he walked through the door, leaving a very perplexed couple behind.

**-**

Miroku grinned sheepishly at Sango, whose paint-covered right hand was raised for another slap. A blue handprint adorned the left side of Miroku's face, much smaller than the pair that adorned the back of Sango's jeans.

"I can't leave you two alone, can I?" Inuyasha asked, shaking his head.

"Where's Ayame?" Sango asked.

"She's at the hospital," Inuyasha said hurriedly. "But she'll be okay. My brother's taking care of her."

Miroku sighed. "I've never understood that relationship, but whatever," he muttered.

"Yeah, it freaks me out too," Inuyasha said, shuddering. "Sesshoumaru is actually polite to her, respectful even. It's…creepy."

Easy conversation resumed as they painted the walls. Though Sango didn't know Sesshoumaru, she accepted that her roommate was in capable hands. Even though the two boys repeadedly teased each other, she recognized an easy rapport between them and a great deal of loyalty. She'd hung out with guys like this at her old high school with Kagome, and felt truly comfortable when they'd direct the occasional rib in her direction.

With the three of them diligently working, they were done relatively quickly. As they were moving the furniture back in (Sango was surprisingly strong) Miroku paused, holding the couch still before a grunt from Inuyasha got him moving today.

"Why was your brother here anyway?" Miroku asked. "It's not you like two are buddy-buddy."

"Keh, he was going to pick of some of Dad's old papers," Inuyasha said. "And he didn't want them sitting in his car while he went to talk to Rin."

'Whoa, whoa, whoa…why did he want to talk to Rin?" Miroku asked.

"He needed to ask her something," Inuyasha said offhandedly. Miroku knew his friend didn't want to say more about why, so he asked another question.

"How do you think _that_ went? I mean, they've actually never met before. I guess circumstances weren't quite right, but I mean…those two talking? I wish I could've taped it. They're polar opposites."

"Yeah," Inuyasha sighed. "But that's his problem. Anyway, I'm going to call him and check on Ayame."

**-**

Sesshoumaru hated hospitals; they reminded him of his mother's death when he was only a small child. And it was in one that his father met Inuyasha's mother, a nurse on the nightshift. Sesshoumaru wanted to find a valid reason to hate her but could never find something objective, which made his dislike even stronger. Izayoi had helped his father immensely but to Sesshoumaru she was only a reminder of what he had so recently lost.

Izayoi was buried next to his father, where _his_ mother belonged. Her family had entombed her in a private crypt over a thousand miles away, far from her son and husband. It just wasn't fair to bury her in a place he couldn't get to when he had so desperately needed to see her.

Sesshoumaru looked down at Ayame. She had a concussion and a few bruises, but was otherwise okay. She was resting comfortably, a serene expression on her pale face. Sesshoumaru wondered for the hundredth time why he and Ayame got along, but knew that several factors were involved.

She got under his skin, _intentionally_, but he welcomed the kind of personal challenge that only she could issue. She took him off guard but it was never threatening. He knew he was in a position of great power but she never wanted anything from him…and she was much like his mother in some respects, even though her outgoing personality was much different.

He liked how if he wanted to tell Ayame something, there were always things that she just automatically _knew,_ which spared him a rather painful explanation. She understood him, something that he wasn't quite sure he did himself, not that he would ever admit that to anyone. But every time he had been in a difficult situation she would always do just the right thing to make him feel more in control of the situation without bruising his ego or embarrassing him. His father had left him to work things out all on his own and Izayoi had been unintentionally patronizing, but Ayame was just what he needed.

_Too bad she reminds me too much of my mother for me to marry her,_ Sesshoumaru thought drolly. _She's just about the only woman I can tolerate that isn't boring._

Sesshoumaru recalled the girl from the library. Rin. How puzzling she was…not irritating, oddly enough. Just something completely different than what he'd ever been expecting. She'd been mentioned a lot by Inuyasha and his friends whenever he'd been unfortunate enough to be in their vicinity, but he'd never talked to her before today.

_She's the only person that can beat Inuyasha in Egyptian ratscrew! She's got the scars to prove it, too!_

_Did you hear what she said in class today? I thought she was going to get suspended! _

_That painting was amazing…did you hear how much she sold it for? Three hundred bucks!_

_Yeah…Rin can wear anything and not look like a whore._

Sesshoumaru mulled over that last comment, made tactlessly by Inuyasha that resulted in a blow from Ayame. The girl definitely possessed some interesting physical qualities that he found appealing, and they were a lot different than the redhead's quite blatant sexuality. She knew what she had and knew when and how to flaunt it…and though Sesshoumaru suspected the same of Rin, he knew said qualities and methods would differ greatly.

_Riiiiiing__ Riiiiiing._

Sesshoumaru picked up his phone, rolling his eyes when he saw Inuyasha's number appear. Preparing himself for a thousand stupid, repetitive questions, he flipped open the cover.

"Yes, Inuyasha?" he drawled.

"How's Ayame?"

"Good."

"She gonna be alright?"

"Is she hurt?"

"Not seriously."

"Is she doing well?"

"Yes."

"Is she gonna be okay?"

Sesshoumaru rolled his eyes. "I just answered that question."

"No, the last one you just answered was 'is she doing well' and I asked 'is she going to be okay,' " Inuyasha griped.

Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes. "I'm hanging up now."

"Wait!" Inuyasha cried. "How'd it go with Rin?"

"I don't know how you two are friends," Sesshoumaru answered.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Sesshoumaru was amused by the obviously irritated tone in his brother's voice.

"Take it as you will," Sesshoumaru replied ambiguously, deliberately so to further annoy his brother. "But she asked me to give you a message."

"She did?" Inuyasha was puzzled.

"Yes, she wanted to make sure that you were painfully aware that the girl you have feelings for was on a date with another man and that she looked absolutely ravishing," Sesshoumaru said dryly. "But if she was the one I saw with Kouga, then I'd have to say that the last one was prettier."

"WHY YOU!" Inuyasha was yelling now. Sesshoumaru winced, delicately holding the phone away from his face and fixing it with a pointed expression.

"I'll have you know that I got her Kagome's number today, thank you very much!" Inuyasha declared. The surprised voices in the background revealed he hadn't yet revealed that to his companions, quite possibly because that was only as far as he had gotten; practically nowhere.

"That still doesn't change the fact she looks like a simpleton," Sesshoumaru muttered.

"I think she's beautiful!" Inuyasha said loudly, his voice cracking when he realized that he'd admitted that out loud. Sesshoumaru smiled at the imagined face of his blushing, idiotic brother. He heard lots of laughter in the background.

"Shut up!" Inuyasha yelled to them, only causing them to laugh louder.

Sesshoumaru allowed himself a rare chuckle before returning the phone to his ear. "Goodnight, Inuyasha. Have fun with your friends."

-

_Click. _

_Aarrrgh__, damn it!_ Inuyasha screamed inwardly. He looked at his friends grumpily. Sango was giggling demurely, having at least the decency to cover her mouth and appear as if she was trying to fight. Miroku was laughing so hard he was close to tears. He considered telling them to stop but didn't, knowing it was useless, he sighed.

_Well, she _**is**_ beautiful_, his treacherous mind thought once again, causing him to scowl.

**-**

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**Author's Notes:** Please read and review this and my other fics! I hope you enjoyed this chapter—it took me ages!


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